One of the most important things you can have in your home to keep your family safe is a smoke detector. It’s equally important to make sure that all detectors, including carbon monoxide detectors, are functioning correctly and have fresh batteries in them, since properly functioning detectors can give you warning and valuable time to get yourself and your family to safety. 

A good way to keep up with changing smoke detector batteries is to follow a simple schedule, such as when daylight savings kicks in or when the seasons change. Of course, if the batteries are beeping or chirping at any time, indicating a low battery, it’s time to change them.

Tips for battery testing and replacement

  • Test the smoke detector once a month. All detectors come with a test button that can be pushed to check the alarm. Also check to see if the device runs on batteries or if it’s hardwired.
  • Take off the top of the detector and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to change the battery.
  • If the detector runs on a 10-year lithium battery, replace the entire unit.
  • Replace any detectors that are 10 years or older. New detectors are readily available at hardware stores for a modest price. One option is to purchase a combination smoke and carbon monoxide detector.
  • Keep the smoke alarms clean and free of cobwebs, paint and dust to ensure proper working condition.
  • Make sure you have a smoke alarm on each floor and place them near bedrooms and other popular areas of the home where they can be heard.  Do not place them behind doors where smoke will take longer to travel.

Keeping up with this simple maintenance task will alert you and may save your life. To find more about smoke detectors or discuss any HVAC-related issues, contact the experts at Stack Heating, Cooling, Plumbing and Electric. We’ve been serving the greater Cleveland area since 1976.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Cleveland, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about smoke detector batteries and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Recent Posts

Have Any Questions?

If this is an emergency please call 440-937-9134.

Otherwise, please feel free to call us or submit this form to schedule an appointment for service or request an estimate. We will contact you shortly!